New on EN5ider, the 5th Edition Patreon! Stonewatch is an aging lighthouse that looms above a particularly dangerous stretch of coastline. Its lone, weather-beaten spire rises from a rocky hilltop, as if stubbornly guarding against the thick ocean mists that churn below. The lighthouse itself is manned by an elderly knight in the middle of his final vigil, and a humble village nearby provides a modicum of refuge for passing travelers.

This is my second attempt to do this today, as I had all this compiled earlier and then the internet flaked out on me just as I hit "Save". So... starting again! Today's Pathfinder 2nd Edition news update, remarkably similar to the one I wrote about an hour ago, includes Jason Bulmahn talking about game design goals, Mark Seifter clarifying some things about the new proficiency system, and Erik Mona discovering that the most popular archetype is the Archeologist! All, of course, will be added to the Pathfinder 2nd Edition Compiled Info Page!

We've previously discussed the original end goal of Dungeons & Dragons and the rising success of video in boosting the game's popularity, but the enormous success of Matt Colville's Strongholds & Streaming seems like a turning point that brought both of those elements together at the right time. Here's a few theories as to why.

A rundown of the New Releases that should be hitting games stores this coming week! Board games, card games, RPGs, Wargames, Miniatures and collectible games... hopefully something for everyone! In addition to the games hitting your local store we also take a look at a few RPG PDF releases from the last week that we hope may be of interest. For more information about any of the physical products please contact your local games store.

The concept of player agency is a central pillar of all role-playing games. It is a balancing factor against the omnipotent, omniscient Game Master. For the purposes of this article, we will be focusing on the smaller-scale application of player agency and the role of game mechanics that negate or modify such agency.

Proficiencies are the big news for Pathfinder 2nd Edition today! We take a look at Paizo's new blog on proficiencies, and I break down Mark Seifter's daily novel (I have no idea how that guy has time to work on the game!); some of the quotes below get a little opaque, so free to skim past them unless your Pathfinder system mastery skills are strong. We also very briefly look at magic items and Resonance again.

Today I bring up a topic usually glossed over in worldbuilding for gaming: Literacy. It’s a skill that we take for granted, given that you are reading this column on a website. Literacy wasn’t always historically widespread, however, and a crafty GM can contrive clever situations hinging upon it.

Perhaps one of my odder choices for a theme week, but I do find it fascinating how many creators and fans are drawn to the idea of mice (and rats, and related critters) as heroes and villains within genre stories. I mean, let's face it, Secret of NIMH remains one of the most fascinating and well-done "not-Disney" cartoon movies of the 20th century. It also seems using mice is a neat way to get kids interested, as many of these games and products indicate. Last (but most assuredly not least), I get the impression a lot of artists just really enjoy drawing mice in cool costumes...

Welcome to this week's Critical Role Roundup. This week the Mighty Nein descend into sewers and deal with exploding rats and hatching spider eggs. We have action, new music and a lot more in this week's episode of Critical Role!

Also known as "Mark Seifter's daily math lecture", here's today's Pathfinder 2nd Edition news roundup! Today involves a lot of discussion about Resonance (explained here) and the Death/Dying rules. Plus math. Resonance is a controversial subject - this is the third day in a row it has dominated these new updates. In other news, GAMA trade show has now ended, so Paizo staff will be returning home. As always, this info gets added to the Pathfinder 2nd Edition Compiled Info Page!

Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news! Toys R Us going into liquidation and closing nationwide, more information about Pathfinder 2, hints at Dungeons & Dragons new campaign setting, lots of game announcements from the GAMA Trade Show, and more!

It's another day, and that means another round of Pathfinder 2nd Edition News! Today's menu includes more discussion on resonance, followed by the main course -- the new rules for death & dying! All added, as ever, to the Pathfinder 2nd Edition Compiled Info Page!

D&D is itself an extension of mythology and sometimes it’s a good move for the GM to bring a proper legend into their game. Whether to have an epic NPC make an impact on the plot, slack a few jaws in awe, or just as a lark, this column is bringing you the greatest figures of mythology with statistics for Fifth Edition!

Even though I’ve played and enjoyed just about every edition of Dungeons & Dragons, with an exception to 4th, I’ve pretty much stayed out of the fray in regards to D&D clones. I’ve somewhat maintained the semblance of a semi-regular D&D Basic campaign (live game) for about two years, primarily relying on the Rules Cyclopedia, and occasionally mixing (and experimenting) in elements from games like HackMaster as well as more recently, Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Like any role-playing alchemist, I’ll never stop mixing. And since Mazes & Perils Deluxe Edition is a clone of Holmes Basic D&D, I’m eager to take a closer look.

There's a fair amount to unpack in today's Pathfinder 2nd Edition news roundup! The big thing, I think, is where we find out what Resonance is and how it limits magic item use (and CLW wand-spamming); there's a ton more playtest demo media for you to watch or listen to, and some discussion from Paizo's Mark Seifter on Pathfinder 2nd Edition's differences to D&D 5E. All added, as always, to the now truly enormous Pathfinder 2nd Edition Compiled Info Page!

Welcome back to our weekly look at tabletop roleplaying game, and accessories, crowdfunding roundup! This week we take to the stars with a Traveller box set and a big book of sci-fi maps, fight the end of the world, see a Megadungeon get a 5th Edition upgrade, and a lot more! If you have anything you’d like us to cover, or questions about anything we talk about, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact me directly.

GAMA Trade Show continues, and Paizo is there in force. Erik Mona today presented a seminar about the Pathfinder Playtest. Here are a few photos courtesy of Paizo -- "I’m stuck way in the back, so my pics aren’t great at all! Hopefully these give you an idea of Erik’s presentation".

Thanks to Stan Shinnover on Google+ for this scoop! WotC held a presentation at the GAMA trade show today, in which they covered both recent D&D performance (best year ever!), some previews of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, and a small hint towards... Spelljammer?

In another step towards the acknowledgement of tabletop role-playing games as a legitimate art form, Chris Spivey of Darker Hue Studios has announced that three museums are making Harlem Unbound, his Call of Cthulhu supplement set in the era of the Harlem Renaissance, part of their special collections available to students, scholars and other academics for study.

EN World Reviews

Even though I’ve played and enjoyed just about every edition of Dungeons & Dragons, with an exception to 4th, I’ve pretty much stayed out of the fray in regards to D&D clones. I’ve somewhat maintained the semblance of a semi-regular D&D Basic campaign (live game) for about two years, primarily relying on the Rules Cyclopedia, and occasionally mixing (and experimenting) in elements from games like HackMaster as well as more recently, Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Like any role-playing alchemist, I’ll never stop mixing. And since Mazes & Perils Deluxe Edition is a clone of Holmes Basic D&D, I’m eager to take a closer look.

This is the Free Trader Beowulf, calling anyone…. Mayday. Mayday…. We are under attack…. Main drive is gone… Turret number one not responding…. Mayday…. Losing cabin pressure fast calling anyone…. Please help…. This is the Free Trader Beowulf…. Mayday…. Bold explorers and brave travellers journey between the stars in Traveller the science fiction roleplaying game by Mongoose Publishing.

I love zines. And, really, who doesn't? Zines are the ultimate expression of the DIY (do-it-yourself) aesthetic that has always been central to role-playing games. With crowd funding sites like Patreon, zines can become, while perhaps not profitable but at least self-sustaining. Kobold Press is using the site to bring out their print zine for Dungeons & Dragons 5E, Warlock. Let's take a look at the most recent couple of issues.

Welcome once more to our monthly roundup of offerings from the Statosphere, the community-generated content portal for the Unknown Armies RPG. This month, we're taking a look at a trio of titles to drop into—or even kick off—your campaigns.

The quest for a truly universal RPG system has been bubbling away for decades, and while Genesys won't be to everybody's taste it certainly carves out its own niche in the middle-ground between lighter systems and their monolithic, crunch-heavy cousins.